Stanek and Kelly making the most of it

North Central's Spencer
Stanek missed an entire season, but he seems to be making up for it
this year in the Cardinals' high-tempo attack.
Photo by Ryan Coleman, d3photography.com

By Clyde HughesD3sports.com

As the Division III gets ready for its version
of the "Sweet Sixteen," one of the more interesting matches
features teams from two of the division's premier conferences --
No. 7 UW-Platteville (10-1), of the WIAC, at No. 4 North Central
(11-0), of the CCIW.

Just as interesting will be the quarterback
duel between Platteville's John Kelly and North Central's Spencer
Stanek.

Platteville went 3-7 during Kelly's freshman
year in 2009, when he started two games. Now Kelly has led the
Pioneers to their first NCAA playoff, with their only
regular-season loss to No. 5 UW-Whitewater. For Stanek, he saw his
team humbled by Linfield, 30-14, last year in the second round and
wants nothing more than advance to the quarterfinals and
beyond.

For the losing quarterback, it will be the
unfortunate end of a fabulous season.

Kelly, in his first full season at quarterback
for Platteville, is completing 68 percent of his passes (282 of
415) for a whopping 3,377 yards and 34 touchdowns. His passing
yardage is third best in the country. He has had a school-record
season in total offense and passing yards and needs 10 completions
to set that mark as well.

"It's been a real honor to make the playoffs,"
Kelly said. "I've never played this far into the season. It's a
great feeling. We're just taking it one day at a time and enjoying
it as much as we can. Ever since my freshman year, I wanted to be
'the guy.' I wanted to train a little more get my body ready. Being
healthy for the first time has been awesome. Just being able to be
around the guys has been great and I want to enjoy this as long as
I can."

Stanek enters the game completing 74 percent
of his passes (211 for 284) for 2,774 yards with 36 touchdowns and
one interception. Those stats make Stanek the national leader in
passing efficiency with a 197.5 rating. In fact, Stanek's 64.7
completion percentage last Saturday against Albion in the first
round of the playoff s was only the second time all season he was
below 70 percent.

Stanek passed along the credit to his
offensive line and North Central's juiced-up, quick tempo offense
guided by offensive coordinator Jeff Thorne, the son of head coach
John Thorne.

"Our offensive line has been great all
season," Stanek said. "I always say that anytime someone asks
because it's true. They've been phenomenal. I haven't had much
pressure all year. It also comes down to our offensive coordinator.
He has a great game plan for us every week and he always puts us
the right positions to be successful. We have great play calling
and moving at a faster pace."

John Kelly's first starts at
quarterback for UW-Platteville were in 2009, but this is the first
year he's made it through 10 games as a starter
unscathed.
Photo by Ryan Coleman, d3photography.com

The quarterbacks each had to overcome a
certain amount of adversity. Before this season, Kelly had never
started more than seven games in a campaign. Last year, he played
in four games, starting two and threw for 11 touchdowns before
breaking a collarbone against UW-Whitewater. He received a medical
redshirt.

"It was a big decision for me the come back
because I didn't know if I wanted to come back," Kelly said. "I
figured I've got the rest of my life. Then I didn't want to look
back in 15 years and saying I wish I would have played one more
year, so I took it and came back and it's been a fun run."

Another reason that led Kelly back was that
his younger brother Tom, is a freshman quarterback for the
Pioneers. Tom, who broke several of John's records at Chicago's
Guerin Prep, are four years apart, making it the first time they
played on the same football team.

"When we were little, we would play baseball
together he was always the youngest guy but he held his own
ground," Kelly said of his younger brother, who is an inch taller
but 10 pounds lighter, according to the Platteville roster. "Now
that we're on the same team, it's really pretty cool. We took a
trip to Portland for Week 3 (to play Lewis & Clark) and just
having him there was great to see how we practiced and stuff and we
always had fun together. That has made this a very special
year."

Stanek sat out 2011 for what he called
"personal reasons," but gave a few small nuggets why when gently
pushed. He said he spent that time getting stronger and improving
his technique at quarterback, something that has helped him be as
sharp as he is this year.

But the North Central signal-caller said he
returned to the Cardinals more mature and ready to take on the
leadership role that quarterback – especially at a perennial
nationally-ranked school like North Central –
requires.

"I think was a more determined when I
returned," Stanek said. "It helped me mature up a little bit and
stay calmer during the game and practice. (The time away) also
helped me develop a sense of leadership. I was now one of the older
guys and I had to take that leadership role. Coaches pushed me to
be more vocal in practice and at games. I think I was a little more
mature and not so young."

Stanek said he would not mind earning a little
bit of bragging rights for North Central and the CCIW against the
WIAC. The Cardinals are 3-0 against the WIAC this year after
opening the season against UW-LaCrosse (41-24), UW-Stout (41-14)
and UW-Stevens Point (27-7).

"The WIAC is a great conference and we have a
lot of respect for it," Stanek said. "We lost to
Wisconsin-Whitewater in the playoffs in 2010 (20-10) so we still
haven't been able to beat them yet. It would be good to get some
bragging rights for the CCIW. Playing teams in top-tier conferences
like the WIAC are always the most fun."

Kelly said even though he and North Central
were never on each other's radar screen coming out of high school
in Chicago, he would love to win in front of family and friends who
will attend the game and never got to watch him play in
Platteville.

"We have a lot of guys on the team who live in
that area," Kelly said. "I have a lot of family and friends and we
hope to have a big crowd (at North Central) too. We're just trying
to play another game. A lot of our guys know someone from North
Central because they against them in high school."

Stanek said win or lose, he hopes people
remember him as someone who did everything he could to help the
Cardinals win.

"I guess I want them to know that I gave it my
all every game and always worked hard," Stanek said. "I hope people
realize that will never give up during a game and will lay it all
out on the line and I'll be a determined athlete trying his best to
succeed."

Kelly said he wants people to remember him
pretty much the same way.

"I want people to know that I never gave up,"
he said. "There were a couple of games where we were down and we
came back. There's always that hope to come back and finish."

Kelly and Stanek will try to lead their
nationally-ranked teams to that big finish in Naperville, Ill. on
Saturday.